Bawku West District records zero maternal death in 2016 – Ghana

The Bawku West District Health Directorate in the Upper East Region scored 100 per cent for maternal deaths target for the year 2016 and is poised to do same for the year 2017.

Mr Benjamin Aggrey, District Director of Health, disclosed at the 2016 performance review of the District held on the theme: “Harnessing human resources for effective leadership and service delivery with focus on newborn care and sub district health system.”

The meeting attracted health personnel from all 34 health centres in the District and opinion leaders to deliberate on the performance of the Directorate in 2016 and strategize for the years ahead. Mr Aggrey said the District recorded 3,648 deliveries in the year under review, representing 91 percent without any mortality as compared to 2015 when it recorded two; and supervised deliveries increased from 88.5 percent in 2015 to 90 percent in 2016.

He said intensive education of clients on the importance of early antenatal clinic, enforcement of community by-laws to prevent home deliveries, prompt referrals of labour cases using the only pickup vehicle meant for official duties at the District Health Administration, refresher causes organized for midwives on the major causes of maternal death, and health promotion were some of the factors that led to the achievement.

He said total neonatal deaths however, increased from 14 in 2015 to 26 in 2016, representing 0.006 percent, teenage pregnancies increased from 17.6 percent in 2014 and 17.8 percent in 2015 respectively, while malaria cases also increased from 15.1 percent in 2015 to 28 percent.

He commended the efforts of all health personnel for the achievement and urged them to continue to work as a team to improve on their weak areas.

The Director, who further declared zero maternal death for this year, advised health personnel to be more innovative, strengthen their antenatal clinic services and entreated them to utilize the little resources at their disposal judiciously.